Dry Aging and Marinades for the Hunter/Chef by Ed Hale

I have cooked in my kitchen for many years along with my wife but there is always more to learn. If I am successful in my early February hunt and I do fully expect to be, I need to bone-up on meat preparation. Pun intended. I am comfortable doing the butchering as long as my meat is refrigerated.  No problem in February! I have made it a habit to vacuum seal and freeze all of my meat for a month before eating any quantity. This does a few things, freezing is a way to reduce gamy flavor and aids in tenderizing. Vacuum sealed meats can last for more than a year or longer in a good freezer. If you want to try dry aging your meat there is a way today to do that in a separate refrigerator with a dry age box at this website. http://thesteakager.com/?gclid=CPmo-KSE-dACFQ1MDQodbN0LQg  I have not tried this but looks very interesting.

On to the Marinades. My research finds that blood is the main carrier of gamy flavor, so if your meat has lots of blood then soak it in Buttermilk for 4 hours or more. Overnight works too to remove the blood and tenderize. Buttermilk has an enzyme and microorganisms that aids in the tenderizing process. Yogurt does this too. This website has a great recipe which begins with the buttermilk marinade. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/buttermilk-marinated-pork-chops/

To add flavor and tenderize, try these. The pineapple and Papaya have enzymes to tenderize and not mask the flavor. Apple Cider vinegar aids in the tenderizing process in many recipes. I use Braggs “Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother”.

Pineapple Marinade

http://bbq.about.com/od/marinaderecipes/r/bl60302a.htm

Orange and Onion Marinade

http://bbq.about.com/od/marinaderecipes/r/bl50831b.htm

Papaya Soy Marinade

http://bbq.about.com/od/marinaderecipes/r/bl10224b.htm

Brine your boar

shoulder?

http://www.howtocookmeat.com/recipes/pork/how-to-brine-pork-shoulder.htm

IT ALL SOUNDS LIP SMACKING GOOD TO ME!!

ENJOY!